Decoy



Patented Apr. 241, 1923.

UNHTED ST GEORGE E. lARKER, OF ABERDEEN, SOUTH DAKOTA.

nnooY.

. Application filed September 20, 1922. Serial No. 589,368. uw

To all whom t may concern.

Be it known that I, GEORGE E. Bnnirnn, a citizen ot the United States, and resident of Aberdeen, county of Brown, and State of South Dakota, have invented new and useful Improvements in Decoys, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to an improvement in decoys, for use in hunting geese, ducks and the like.

The invention consists of a knock-down decoy comprising a body or profile portion and a float which may be assembled readily. The difficulty encountered with most decoys of this character is Atheir cumbersome construction and the inability of the hunter to assemble them, and especially is this true when the hands are cold or the necessity of removing the gloves from Vthe hands before the parts can be put together. With this-1nvention these objections are overcome, and all that is necessary is to slip the proiile over the ioat and the decoy is ready to be placed in the water or'on the ice Orland as the occasion may demand.

The invention consists of certain novel features of construction and combinations of parts which will be hereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanyingk drawing yFigure 1 is a view in side elevation of the assembled decoy; y

Figure 2 is a top plan view; and

Figure 3 is a longitudinal vertical sectional view through the float, and showing a portion of the profile or body in elevation.

The decoy is intended to be constructed of any suitable material, either metal, wood or paper. In the drawing, the body or profile 4 is constructed of metal and shaped to simulate a duck, or other bird, and is suitably painted and colored. The oat 5 is made of wood and is also painted and colored to harmonize with tlie profile 4 to give an appearance of' a bird from any angle at which the decoy may be viewed, by the birds lying through the air.

dThefloat 5 is provided with a rounded front end 6 and a pointed rear portion 7, and is provided with two slots 8 and 9, which extend inwardly Jfrom the ends toward each other. through the longitudinal center ot the float. The formation of the slots 8 and` 9 produces a web 10. r

The body or prole 4 is provided with a transverse elongated slot 11. The profile is attached or applied to the float by inserting the rounded or front end 6 through the slot. 11, and causing the front portion of the pro.

lile to be drawnf into the slot 8 'of the float, which is longer than the slot 9 until the forward wall ot the `slot 11 is engaged by the web 10, when the profile may be drawn over the end 7 of the float, and then moved forwardly causing the profile to enter the slot 9 of the 'float until the web 10 is engaged by the slot. When this has been accomplished the decoy is assembled and ready for use.

An arm 12 is pivoted to the profile 4 beneath the slot 11 and the float 5, and its upper-end 13 is moved into the slot 8, between the profile 4 and float 5 for locking them together. At the outer or free end of the arm 12 is applied a weight 14, which when the arm is swung to the position for fastening the lioat and profile together is caused to lie somewhat below the lower edge of the profile and act as a ballast Jfor maintaining the decoy in an upright position and preventing it from turning over in strong gusts of wind.

The lower portion of the profile 4 acts as a rudder for the decoy when in the water and holes 15, 16 are formed therein for attaching the anchor cord or rope, not shown. Diagonal slots 17, 17, are formed in the lower portion of the proile 4 for wrapping the anchor rope when not in use. When the rope is fastened to iront hole 15 the decoy will head 'into the wind and when fastened to the hole 17 the decoy will head with the wind.

Staples 18. 18 are driven into the float 5 near the forward end o1 the decoy and when the anchor rope is applied to one ot' the staples 18, the decoy will quarter thev wind and swing in an arc, ta'cking about and imitating the swimming oit' a live duck. It is well to use a `group of decoys, having most ot them headed into the wind and a few headed in other directions.

When the decoys are used on land or ice, provision is made for supporting them, by legs 19. 19, pivotally attached to the sides of the float near the rear portion thereof. The free ends ot the legs 19 are provided with flanges adapted to enter recesses 20 in the sides of the float when the legs are not in use. When the legs are employed they are swung downwardly asindicated by the dotted lines in Figure 1.

From the foregoing it will be seen that a very simple decoy is employed. and which may be manufactured and Sold at a `small Cost. The profile can be stamped out of metal to the proper shape and painted or otherwise decorated to sin'iulate the appearance of the desired bird. While the float can be readily shaped from a piece of Wood and the slots Jformed `by a saw or otherwise.

Having described my invention, what I olaiign as new and desire to secure by Letters lPatent, is

sertible in said Slot, and a weighted arm pivoted to the profile for forming a ballast for the decoy7 said arm adapted to be wedged betweeny the proile and float ior fastening them together.

3. A decoy comprising a proile and a float having a slot therein, said profile insertible in said slot, and legs pivoted to the float adapted to be swung at an angle thereto for supporting the decoy on land and ice.

4l. A decoy, 'comprising a prolile, having an elongated slot and a ioat provided with slotted ends, said float insertible through the slot of the profile and the ends of the profile received in the slots of the {ioat and a weighted arm pivotally Connected to the profile beneath the lioat adapted to have one of its ends received between the float and prole for 'fastening the profile and float together.

GEORGE BAKKER. 

